GOOD "LORD HOWE" ISLAND!!

Today, I happen to have an interest in Lord Howe Island. Been there done it!

Lord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, part of the Australian state of New South Wales. It lies 600 km directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, 780 km northeast of Sydney, and about 900 km southwest of Norfolk Island. It is about 10 km long and between 0.3 and 2.0 km wide with an area of 14.55 km2, though just 3.98 km2 of that comprise the low-lying developed part of the island. The island is named after The First Lord Richard Howe.

The unofficial flag of Lord Howe Island, the design of which harks to the pre-1801 Union Jack.

Along the west coast is a sandy semi-enclosed sheltered coral reef lagoon. The island is home to less than 500 people, most of whom live in the north, while the south is dominated by forested hills rising to the highest point on the island, Mount Gower (875 m, 2,871 ft). The Lord Howe Island Group comprises 28 islands, islets, and rocks. Apart from Lord Howe Island itself, the most notable of these is the volcanic and uninhabited Ball's Pyramid about 23 km (14 mi; 12 nmi) to the southeast of Howe. To the north lies the Admiralty Group, a cluster of seven uninhabited islets (small islands).

The first reported sighting of Lord Howe Island took place on 17 February 1788, when Lieutenant Henry Lidgbird Ball(yes seriously!) commander of the Armed Tender HMS Supply, was en route from Botany Bay to found a penal settlement on Norfolk Island. On the return journey, Ball sent a party ashore on Lord Howe Island to claim it as a British possession. It subsequently became a provisioning port for the whaling industry, and was permanently settled in June 1834. When whaling declined, the 1880s saw the beginning of the worldwide export of the endemic kentia palms,which remains a key component of the island's economy. The other continuing industry, tourism, began after WW2 ended in 1945.

The Lord Howe Island Group is part of the state of New South Wales and is regarded legally as an unincorporated area administered by the Lord Howe Island Board, which reports to the New South Wales Dept of Heritage. The island's standard UTC + 10.30, or UTC + 11 when daylight saving applies. The currency is the Australian Dollar. Commuter airlines provide flights to Sydney, Gold Coast, Newcastle, and Port Macquarie.

UNESCO records the Lord Howe Island Group as a World Heritage Site of global natural significance. Most of the island is virtually untouched forest, with many of the plants and animals found nowhere else in the world. Other natural attractions include the diversity of the landscapes, the variety of upper mantle and oceanic basalt, the world's southernmost barrier coral reef, nesting seabirds, and the rich historical and cultural heritage. The Lord Howe Island Act 1981 established a "Permanent Park Preserve" (covering about 70% of the island). The island was added to the Australian National Heritage List on 21 May 2007 and the NSW State Register on 2 April 1999. The surrounding waters are a protected region designated the Lord Howe Island Marine Park.

Bioregion: Lord Howe Island is part of the IBRA region Pacific Subtropical Islands and is subregion PSI01 with an area of 1,909 ha (4,720 acres). In the WWF Ecoregion system, Lord Howe Island constitutes the entirety of the 'Lord Howe Island subtropical forests' ecoregion (WWF ID#AA0109). This ecoregion is in the Australasion Realm, and the tropical and sub-tropical moist broadleaf forest biome. The WWF eco-region has an area of 14 km² (5½ sq. mi).

It is populated by around 445 residents. —meaning regular team-sport leagues like official football (soccer) or rugby league competitions are not feasible. Where is it? If you drew a straight line between Brisbane (yes, Australia) and the northern peninsular of New Zealand and visited the island around a fifth of the journey from Brisbane, you would be there!

How Football and Team Sports Work on the Island. No Formal Leagues: There are no scheduled soccer, rugby union, or rugby league, leagues based on the island. 

Informal & Youth Play: Informal games and youth activities do take place. For instance, casual touch rugby games happen periodically, and periodic youth programs like the Soccer Camp have been coordinated with outside help (such as the Pagewood-Botany Football Club) using the local "Oval". 

School & Community Support: Organizations like the NRL and various grassroots clubs occasionally send gear or support to local students at the Lord Howe Island Central School. 
Watching Games: Locals and visitors often gather at community hubs like the Lord Howe Island Bowling Club to watch live-screened football and cricket matches. 
Notable Connections: The island has ties to rugby history; former Wallaby player Adrian "Moose" Skeggs grew up on Lord Howe Island and maintains deep connections to the community. 

TINSLEY LINDLEY

Well OK...I might have written this "some time ago" but I just had a fancy for doing this, while I'm lounging in Sydney...yes...you read write (right).It's 9th November 1889 and I'm having fun.....more to come later..I bet you are looking forward to that?!

When Notts County found themselves a player short for their Football League match against Aston Villa on November 9th 1889 they borrowed a player from their near neighbours, non-leaguers Nottingham Forest. 

The match ended 1-1 at Trent Bridge but Villa objected saying the borrowed player was ineligible as he wasn't registered to play for County. The League Management Committee upheld that complaint docking Notts County one point and fining them £5. 

The player Notts County borrowed was Tinsley Lindley who was a remarkable character. As a 16-year old he scored a hat-trick on his debut for Nottingham Forest and later scored 14 goals in 13 appearances for England.

                                                                            

(Lindley in blazer and cap on right)
His England call-up came on 13 March 1886 when, he was one of eight new caps selected to play against Ireland in Belfast. Lindley scored as England "totally dominated"  the match, with Benjamin Spilsbury scoring four goals in a 6–1 victory.

It has been claimed that he holds the record for scoring in nine consecutive England matches between 13 March 1886 and 7 April 1888. However, there is no substance whatsoever to this claim, as this includes the match against Wales on 29 March 1886, in which all contemporary reports credit the goals to George Brann, Fred Dewhurst and Andrew Amos (an Old Carthusian)!! 

He did, however, score in each of the next 6 consecutive games, which is still an England record (though note that Steve Bloomer scored in ten consecutive matches in which he played, and George Camsell in nine). In total, he scored 14 international goals in just 13 games. He held the overall England goalscoring record from March 1888 when he equalled Charles Bambridge's tally of 11 until his final tally of 14 was overhauled by Steve Bloomer in 1898.

His family lived in Clipstone Avenue, Nottingham and Lindley attended Nottingham High School between 1875 and 1883, where he first revealed his talent. 

He later attended The Leys School, Cambridge, where he turned to rugby. From 1885 to 1888 he studied at Caius College, Cambridge and during this time played football forthe University and also for The Corinthians and Casuals. Lindley obtained not just a degree but he also achieved a Master of Law and LL.D law doctorate.

He wore walking shoes rather than traditional football boots as he could run quicker in them and remained an amateur player throughout his playing career. 

He also played County cricket for Nottinghamshire. 

He studied law at Cambridge University and was a barrister and in that capacity took charge of County's appeal against the punishment claiming that by imposing both a fine and a points penalty Notts County had been punished twice. A General Meeting of the League clubs accepted his argument dropping the one point deduction but increasing the fine to £25!! 

Lindley was given an O.B.E. in January 1918 for his work during World War One and in 1935 he was also awarded the King George V Jubilee Medal.

JOCK AND THE ARGIES

The Intercontinental Cup Final was played between the Champions of Europe and the Champion club of South America. In 1967 the Argentine, Racing Club faced Celtic and this finally did what was simmering previously...it "exploded".

The First Leg was played on October 18th at Hampden Park. In this first leg, Celtic manager, no "shrinking violet", Jock Stein, entered the pitch to complain about the treatment being dished out to the Celtic super winger, Jimmy Johnstone. The referee, took no notice and the complaint from the Celtic bench was unheeded, however, Celtic won 1-0 and the template had been set!! .

Before the Second Leg on November 1st, in Buenos Aires, Celtic goalkeeper, Ronnie Simpson, was hit by a missile thrown from the hostile "home" crowd and he suffered a deep cut to his head. He was replaced by reserve keeper John Fallon. Celtic took an early lead through a Tommy Gemmill penalty after Johnstone being hacked down in the area. Johnstone, always dangerous, continued to be kicked around the pitch like an empty beer can! Racing hit back and score two goals, forcing a play off. Stein answered this with "We don't want to play a third game, but I know we have to."                                 The resulting match three days later was more outrageous, being described by Reuters as "a ballroom bar brawl, soccer skills were abandoned replaced by swinging fists, flying boots and blatant body checking." Johnstone was continuously hacked down and he retaliated, causing a melee which resulted in Alfio Basile and Bobby Lennox being sent off. 

Johnstone was among four other players sent off in the second half. Also John Hughes, Berti Auld and Juan Carlos Rulli should have walked, but the last two refused to leave the pitch and the referee allowed them to play on! Clearly the referee had lost control! Celtic having had men sent off, fined them £250 each. The Racing players, whose team won 1-0, all benefited from a new car each!

The match effectively denied Jock Stein,

who had led his Scots to the European Cup win a few months earlier, a knighthood!! His name was removed from the New Year's Honours List because of "unfortunate events in South America!" as explained in a letter sent by the Scottish Office to the Prime Minister, Harold Wilson, in 1970. 

The following season when Manchester United won the European Cup (as it was known then) saw an immediate Knighthood given to Sir Matt Busby in the "Birthday List". Poor Jock Stein missed out on his Honour due to the trouble with the Argies!!

1967	Scotland	Celtic	1–0	Racing♦	Argentina	Hampden Park	103,000
	Argentina	Racing♦	2–1	Celtic	Scotland	El Cilindro	n/a
	2 points each; Racing Club won 1–0 in the playoff at Estadio Centenario ‡

WEST HAM HAMMER MANAGER?

West Ham United has had a number of permanent managers in the club's history and an additional three caretaker managers. https://www.whufc.com/en/the-club/history/managers

TODAY...West Ham United's first-team preparations are currently under the temporary guidance of Mark Noble, Steve Potts and Gerard Prenderville, following the sacking of head coach Santo.

Up until 1989 the club had only had five different managers. Before the appointment of Gianfranco Zola in 2008 the club never had an overseas manager, with the only non-Englishman being the Scot, Lou Macari. The most recent manager appointed in 2025 after Graham Potter, was the Portuguese Nuno Espirito Santo, who has just departed!! 

Three former West Ham players have taken on temporary managerial roles at the club, between permanent managers. Ronnie Boyce briefly took the reins, in February 1990, between Macari's resignation and the appointment of Billy Bonds. Former Hammers player and board member Trevor Brooking was briefly in charge during two separate spells as caretaker manager in 2003, first during the illness of Glenn Roeder and again between Roeder's sacking and the appointment of Alan Pardew. Former player Kevin Keen has been caretaker manager twice; immediately prior to Zola's appointment in 2008 and after the sacking of Avram Grant in 2011.

Prior to the appointment of West Ham's first manager, team selection was the responsibility of a committee. Lew Bowen served as secretary for the club's initial season of 1900–01. Then came along Syd King, below,

who in May 1902, West Ham appointed full-back Syd King as secretary-manager. King had replaced Bowen as secretary at the start of the 1901–02 season, combining the role with his playing duties. A player with West Ham's predecessor team Thames Ironworks, he continued to play for the newly formed club until 1903. He remained manager until 1932, when he was sacked. He later, sadly committed suicide.

King was replaced by Charlie Paynter, who had been appointed reserve-team trainer in 1902 and was promoted to first-team trainer when Syd King was appointed as manager. Paynter was appointed on 1st November 1932. and he remained as manager until 1950 when he was replaced by Ted Fenton on 1st August 1950. Below...

Fenton was a PT instructor for The Army in North Africa and Burma during World War 2. He had, since 1948, been Paynter's assistant manager. Fenton's greatest achievement was in winning the Division Two championship in the 1957–58 season and thereby securing the club top flight football for the first time since 1932. The 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons saw West Ham achieve two goalscoring records; in 1957–58, the club scored 101 league goals, and in 1958–59, the club scored 59 home league goals in a season, which was even more remarkable it being the season following promotion to Division One. During his time, Fenton was responsible for establishing The Academy and the development of youth teams that reached the FA Youth Cup final twice in three years over the period 1956–59. AND more positive moves.....

With the help of chairman Reg Pratt he was also responsible for encouraging as many players as possible to take their FA Coaching Badges to ensure the players had something to fall back on when their playing days were over. Seven of the West Ham 1964 FA Cup winning team had either been signed by Ted Fenton from other clubs, or had worked their way up from The Academy during his time as manager. Fenton's departure from West Ham in March 1961 has never been fully explained by the club. Under strain and on sick-leave and with West Ham's league position suffering, he left the club under circumstances which both he and the club decided would remain confidential.

In April 1961, Pratt was selected as manager. 

His reign at West Ham brought them sizeable success. He oversaw the development of players such as the 1966 FIFA World Cup-winning trio of Bobby Moore, Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters, and under him the Hammers won the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, the first two major trophies of their history. He moved upstairs in 1974, becoming the club's general manager for the next three years, with John Lyall being placed in charge of the first team. 

Pratt selected Ron Greenwood as manager. His reign at West Ham brought them sizeable success. He oversaw the development of players such as the "Hammers" who helped win the FA Cup in 1964 and the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1965, the 1966 FIFA World Cup winners of Bobby Moore, Geoff (Hat-trick!!) Hurst and Martin Peters (also scored!), and  the first two major trophies of their history. He moved upstairs in 1974, becoming the club's general manager for the next three years. The "rest" (above) completes the history!! There have been so many changes, this list might be inaccurate!

SUNDERLAND-NOT THE CLUB

On November 2nd 1977, Terry Neil...remember him?.....

as Arsenal Manager paid Wolverhampton Wanderers FC £220,000 to bring Alan Sunderland (and below!) to his club, in those days playing at Highbury. It proved to be an astute piece of business, especially when Alan scored the winning goal in the famous "five-minute" FA Cup Final, 1979.     https://www.facebook.com/reel/186352955803630 try this one! Hoped the link works..if not, you know what to do!

Alan Sunderland is 73 years old. (born July 1, 1953).

• Date of birth: July 1, 1953
Place of birth: Conisbrough, South Yorkshire, England

Former position: Forward (playing for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Arsenal, and Ipswich Town) and Northern Ireland legend.

WALTER CRICKMER- Man U!!

1st November 1930

On this day, Manchester United beat Birmingham City at Old Trafford, after having lost every one of their first twelve Division 1 matches that season (at the time Division 1 was the top division) . United eventually finished bottom of the table and conceded a club record 115 League goals.matches that season!!

Date: Saturday, November 1, 1930
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Score: Manchester United 2–0 Birmingham City
Attendance: 11,479

The 1930–31 season was Manchester United's 35th season in the Football League.

At the end of the season, United finished last in the league and were relegated to the Second Division, having won just seven games all season and lost all of their opening 12 fixtures. Herbert Bramlett was sacked as manager with six games remaining and relegation looking virtually certain, with club secretary Walter Crickmer stepping in as acting manager for the rest of the season (though Crickmer would, in the event, stay in charge until the summer of 1932). The last game of the season, a 4–4 home draw with Middlesbrough, was watched by fewer than 4,000 spectators, as the Great Depression further affected attendances.

He became Manchester United club secretary in 1926. He twice assumed managerial responsibility: from 1 April 1931 to 1 June 1932, and then again from 1 August 1937 to 1 February 1945.

Together with club owner James W Gibson, he was responsible for instituting the youth development  at Manchester United. After 32 years of service as club secretary, Crickmer was killed in the Munich Air Disaster on 6 February 1958. He is buried at Stretford Cemetery.

Walter Crickmer and Sir Matt Busby, the legendary manager signs his first contract as Manchester Utd manager in 1945.

Personal information
Full name	Walter Raymond Crickmer
Date of birth	17 December 1899
Place of birth	Wigan, Lancashire. England
Date of death	6 February 1958 (age 58)
Place of death	Munich, Germany
Managerial career
Years	Team
1931–1932	Manchester United
1937–1945	Manchester United

Managerial statistics

Team	From	To	Record
			G	W	D	L	Win %
Manchester United	April 1931	June 1932	43	17	8	18	39.53
Manchester United	November 1937	February 1945	76	30	24	22	39.47

HAVE A GO AT THE SUN HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION!!

 

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/40849090/footballers-halloween-costumes-joker-clown/

AND IN CASE YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME...... TRY THIS LINK!! SPOOKY EH?

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/40849090/footballers-halloween-costumes-joker-clown/